Yoruba
Idowa, Nigeria
Coastal West Africa
Crown (Ade)
INV-1326
Yoruba
Idowa, Nigeria
Coastal West AfricaLate 19th to mid-20th century
Crown (Ade)
Yoruba Idowa, Nigeria Coastal West Africa →yorubaCoastal West AfricaArts of Africaafrican Artcrownbeadwork
Date
Late 19th to mid-20th century
Medium
Glass beads, fabric, thread, and copper alloy
Dimensions
142.9 × 50.8 × 47.7 cm (56 1/4 × 20 × 18 3/4 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
Cora Abrahamson Endowment
This elaborate conical crown once belonged to the king of Idowa. It refers to the inner head (ori inu) or spiritual essence of a Yoruba ruler. The faces outlined with beads establish a link to past kings, who serve as influential ancestors to the present one. The beaded veil protects onlookers from the king’s potent gaze while multiple three-dimensional birds allude to the supernatural powers of women.
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